Vibratory switch



INVENTOR. {dd/w! C 79am?- Y TTOHNEY L. C. PARKER VIBRATORY SWITCH Flled Sept 11 1950 April 7, 1953 WITNESS Patented Apr. 7, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VIBRATORY SWITCH Delaware Application September 11, 1950, Serial No. 184,220

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to vibratory switches, and more particularly to improved contact mechanism for use therein.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement over the structure disclosed in the application of Parker et al. Serial No. 658,929, filed April 2, 1946, now abandoned, and is illustrated in the type of circuit there shown, but is useful in other environments where contact mechanism having a long service life is desired.

It is an object of the present invention to pro-' vide a novel contact mechanism for electrical vibrators having a high current capacity and very long useful life. I

It is another object to provide such a device in which the opening and closing of the contacts has no appreciable damping effect on the vibrator.

It is another object to provide such a device in which the point of closure of the contacts may be adjusted without altering the frequency or amplitude of oscillation of the vibrator.

It is another object to provide such a device in which all the problems of contact pressure, wear, and corrosion are substantially eliminated.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the vibratory mechanism being shown in elevation.-

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged substantially mid-sectional view of the mercury switch capsule.

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing there is illustrated a vibratory mechanism comprising an electromagnet I mounted in any suitable manner on a frame 2 of magnetic material providing a pole piece 3. A flexible reed 4 is fixedly mounted at one end as indicated at 5 to the lower end of the frame 2 and extends upward into proximity to the pole piece 3. Reed 4 comprises two parallel elastic conductors 4 and 4 which are united mechanically by an insulating clamping means 4 forming part of the mounting means 5. An armature 6 of magnetic material is fixed in any suitable manner on the free end of the reed 4 P so as to be movable toward and from the pole piece 3 as the reed vibrates, and is insulated from the reed as indicated at 6*.

A tubular capsule l, which is evacuated or charged with a suitable inert atmosphere, is

ill

mounted on the end of the reed 4 as by means of spring clips 8, 9 in Fig. 2. The capsule is curved slightly with its convex surface on the lower side, and a drop of mercury H is located therein, normally at the lowest point of the capsule. A pair of electrodes l2, [3 are sealed in the end of the capsule l and extend toward the central portion thereof in position to enter the drop of mercury when the capsule moves in a direction to cause the armature 6 to approach the pole piece 3.

In the present instance the vibrator is used in a voltage reducer circuit of the type disclosed in the above identified application of Parker et a1. For this purpose, the device is arranged to operate a low voltage load I4 such as a six volt lamp from a high voltage source of power, such as a 12 volt battery l5.

The battery is connected through a switch it and lead I l to a terminal [8 on the conductor 4 of vibrator reed 4, which conductor is electrically connected by means of a lead H! to the electrode l3 of the capsule. Terminal [8 is also connected through a lead 2| to one terminal of the magnet l. The opposite terminal of electromagnet I is connected by a lead 22 to a terminal 23 on the conductor 4 of reed 4, which conductor is connected by a lead 24 to the electrode l2 of capsule 1. Terminal 23 is also connected by a lead 25 to the load I4, which is also connected to the battery l5 through a lead 26 to complete the battery circuit.

When the vibrator reed is in its normal unflexed. position as shown in Fig. 1, the electrodes [2, l3 of the capsule are spaced from the drop of mercury H as shown in Fig. 3. Closure of switch I5 by the operator completes a circuit through leads ll, 2|, and electromagnet I, leads 22, 25, load l4, and lead 26 whereby the electromagnet is energized so as to attract the armature 5. The resistance of the electromagnet l is many times greater than the resistance of the load l4, so that at this time the load is not appreciably energized. Attraction of the armature 6 by the pole piece 3 flexes the reed 4 to the left in Fig. 1, thus causing the electrodes [2, I3 to enter the drop of mercury H since the mercury remains stationary due to its inertia. The consequent closure of the electrical circuit through terminal l8. lead I9, conductor 4*, lead 24, and conductor 4 to terminal 23, causes the full voltage of the battery to be applied to the load 14 while the electro-magnet l is deenergized, since it is short-circuited through the vibrator switch.

Reed 4 then immediately swings back toward idle position, withdrawing electrodes l2, 13 from the mercury H, whereupon the electro-magnet i is reenergized and the direct connection of the load to the battery is again broken. It will be understood that the period of vibration of the reed 4 is so rapid that the successive periods of energization of the lamp I4 cause the filament thereof to be heated to an appropriate degree of incandescence without appreciable flicker.

The energy supplied to the load I4 is dependent upon the proportion of the total time during which the electrodes I2, l3 are connected by the mercury II. This proportion may readily be varied by lengthwise adjustment of the capsule l in the clamping bracket 8, 9 so as to increase of decrease the distance of the electrodes from the mercury when the reed is in idle position.

During the operation of the vibrator, the mercury remains substantially stationary due to its inertia, and the electrodes 12, 53 open and close the bridge circuit through the reed 4 as they oscillate in and out of the stationary body of mercury.

Although but one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that changes may be made in the precise form and arrangement of the parts, and that the novel vibrator mechanism may be used in other environments without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim.

In an electrical vibrator an electromagnet having a pole piece. a substantially verticaliy mounted elastic reed anchored at one end bearing on its free end an armature adjacent said pole piece, a sealed cylindrical capsule of dielectric material ,4 mounted in a substantially horizontal position on the free end of the reed with the ends of the capsule bent upwardly, a drop of conductive liquid in the capsule, an electrode sealed in the capsule in position to move into and out of said drop of liquid as the vibrator oscillates; and means so connecting the electromagnet, electrode, and drop of liquid to a source of electrical energy that movement of the capsule and electrode toward said pole piece Withdraws the electrode from the conductive liquid and causes deenergization of the electromagnet, and reverse motion of the capsule projects the electrode into the liquid and thus causes energization of the electromagnet; in which the reed is composed of two parallel insulated strips of spring metal, and including further an electrode within the capsule connected to each of said strips and positioned so that at least one of the electrodes shuttles into and out of the stationary drop of conductive liquid as the capsule vibrates with the reed.

LELAND C. PARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,905,771 Walker Apr. 5, 1933 FORHGN PATENTS Number Country Date 269,346 Germany Jan. 19-, 191% 

